Hoekstra, of Holland, Mich., was born in the Netherlands and moved with his family to Michigan as a young child.

Peter Hoekstra, former Congressman from Holland, nominated by President Donald Trump to be the ...more

Peter Hoekstra, former Congressman from Holland, nominated by President Donald Trump to be the Ambassador to the Netherlands in 2017.

The Investigative Project on Terrorism

First elected to Congress in 1992, he served 18 years, rising to become chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He left in early 2011, having mounted an unsuccessful bid for governor. In 2012, he failed in a bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

The former Republican congressman tweeted a "shout-out" to Stabenow on Thursday, thanking her for support as a "big help in Senate vote."